Elevated tee box

Closest to the pin will take on new meaning for four PGA Champions

Tour golfers Tuesday, March 15, of Toshiba Senior Classic week.

Gary McCord, John Jacobs, Fuzzy Zoeller and David Feherty will

each hit a tee shot from the top of the Newport Beach Marriott -- a

height of 162 feet -- to the green of the par-4 second hole, about

115 yards away, at Newport Beach Country Club at 11 a.m.

The winning player will earn $2,000, to be donated to the charity

of his choice. The remaining participants will receive $1,000 for

each of their favorite charities. Marriott is donating the $5,000

purse.

“David, John, Gary and Fuzzy are four of the funniest and most

clever guys in golf,” said Tournament Director Jeff Purser, who was

looking to spruce up Tuesday of tournament week.

Purser said credit for the idea to hit off the top of a hotel came

from close friend, Todd Brooks.

The two spoke months ago and Brooks mentioned Tiger Woods hitting

balls from rooftop to rooftop at the PGA Tour’s Deutsche Bank

Championship, Purser said. “We took the idea and ran with it.”

McCord won the 1999 Toshiba championship and splits his time

between duties as a CBS golf analyst and Champions Tour commitments.

Jacobs, a five-time winner on the Champions Tour, placed second to

McCord in 1999 following a five-hole playoff.